Serie A Preview: Lazio vs Roma – Team News, Line-ups & Prediction | OneFootball

One of the most highly anticipated fixtures in the Italian football calendar pits eternal rivals Lazio and Roma against each other on Sunday, early afternoon. The first Derby della Capitale of the 2025/26 season will be the 163rd Rome derby in Serie A history, with more than just bragging rights at stake this weekend.

Expectations were high when Lazio announced Maurizio Sarri’s return to the dugout in the summer. However, Marco Baroni’s successor has stuttered at the beginning of his second consecutive tenure at Stadio Olimpico. Indeed, Lazio have lost twice in the opening three Serie A rounds, barring a 4-0 thrashing of Hellas Verona on matchday two.

An uneventful performance away to Sassuolo last weekend saw Lazio finish on the receiving end of a 1-0 scoreline, handing the newly promoted outfit their first win of the season. In doing so, the Biancocelesti have put themselves at risk of losing three of their first four matches of a new league season for only the third time in the last 50 years.

Meanwhile, Lazio’s former coach, Baroni, inflicted Gian Piero Gasperini’s first defeat in charge of Roma last Sunday. Torino stunned the Giallorossi 1-0 in Rome, courtesy of Giovanni Simeone’s moment of brilliance midway through the second half. It was another underwhelming showing from Roma at the start of the season.

Despite kicking off the 2025/26 campaign with back-to-back wins over Bologna and Pisa, Roma’s performances lacked conviction. Indeed, each contest produced the same tight 1-0 scoreline. Perhaps this could be a turning point for Gasperini’s side, with the derby offering a golden opportunity to silence doubters and reignite their momentum.

Match Preview

Lazio

Sarri’s appointment has failed to reinvigorate the downtrodden Rome giants. A matchday two rout of Verona remains Lazio’s only win in their last six league outings (D2, L3). However, they can draw confidence from a stubborn home form, with the Biancocelesti losing just one of their last nine league matches at Stadio Olimpico (W2, D6).

Adding to Lazio’s confidence, they are unbeaten in eight consecutive Derby della Capitale editions as the designated home side (W4, D4). Despite drawing 1-1 in this corresponding fixture last season, Lazio are enjoying their longest unbeaten home run against Roma in club history.

Defensive solidity could be key to another success, and Sarri’s men have been rock-solid in the early stages of the game lately. Indeed, they have not conceded a first-half goal in Serie A this season. Yet, with six of their 12 most recent home league outings yielding an identical 1-1 scoreline, a tight affair could be on the cards.

Roma

A lack of entertainment has been a common theme during Gasperini’s early regime at Stadio Olimpico. That’s quite odd, considering he was once associated with intense and exciting football during his career at Atalanta. However, aesthetics will be the last thing at his mind this weekend, with Roma staring down the barrel of back-to-back league defeats for the first time since December 2024.

Interestingly, only three teams from Europe’s traditional top-five leagues had earned more points than Roma (55) in 2025 before this weekend. That alone should banish fears of another derby upset. Furthermore, Gasperini’s charges have been outstanding in defense, racking up an impressive 13 clean sheets in 23 games during that stretch.

However, with nine of Roma’s last 14 Serie A matches producing precisely one goal, connoisseurs of action-packed football may not be overly enthusiastic about this match-up. Topically, Roma’s last four away meetings with Lazio across all competitions have featured an average of precisely one goal per game.

Team News

Lazio will be without several first-team stars this weekend, with Patric, Samuel Gigot, Matias Vecino, and Manuel Lazzari unavailable for selection. On the bright side, Nicolo Rovella and Taty Castellanos have returned to the squad, though the former may start on the bench due to a lack of match fitness.

On the other hand, Roma head into proceedings severely weakened by injuries. Standout forward Paulo Dybala is on the sidelines again, while Leon Bailey is still recovering from a thigh problem. As a result, Evan Ferguson may lead the line, with Stephan El Shaarawy and Matias Soule expected to play behind him.

Lazio vs Roma Potential Starting Line-ups

Lazio (4-3-3): Provedel; Marusic, Gila, Romagnoli, Tavares; Guendouzi, Cataldi, Dele-Bashiru; Cancellieri, Castellanos, Zaccagni.

Roma (3-4-2-1): Svilar; Celik, Mancini, Ndicka; Rensch, Cristante, Kone, Angelino; Soule, El Shaarawy; Ferguson.

Lazio vs Roma Prediction

This encounter has all the makings of a hard-fought, low-scoring draw. One goal may determine this derby, but a scoreless stalemate wouldn’t surprise us.